The Grapevine (OFF TOPIC CHAT) Part II

Tar.Aldarion

I'd say it would get boring fast, would't mind it for breakfast or lunch though as it would be very healthy, but definitively not for dinner.
I'll see how they get on at work on it haha



Thanks for the jamie oliver link!

loveisdivine

I actually read an article recently enough about a guy that tried that Soylent diet for a month or so. I think he got on with it really well. But yeah i could imagine it would be very boring.

Theres a recipe on Jamie for mushroom, chestnut and cranberry tart which I might give a trial run as a potential Christmas dinner

Mrrrrrow

Feu wrote: »

I'm a quinoa convert I still don't eat too much, as it is quite high in sugar, but will have a small helping when i make it. A nice thing to do if you are getting used to it is, cook it with some basmati or other long grain rice, say in a 2:1, or 3:1 ratio. You can cook them in the same pot together (once you've thoroughly rinsed both!) and it makes for a nice savoury taste imo, and is quite visually appealing also. I heard this tip from a blog where a woman was trying to introduce it to her family and just kept upping the amount of quionoa, until there was no rice left!

That's a really good idea, mixing rice with quinoa.

Ms. Koi

I was watching some of Jamie's super saver meals earlier, and he was doing steak and chips. He introduced it as "who doesn't love a good steak and chips? Except vegetarians, no offence!". Gave me a good giggle!
I would not try that soylent stuff...uch!

Killer_banana

loveisdivine wrote: »

Jamie Oliver is starting to put more vegan recipes on his site. A lot of desserts and side dishes but some quite tasty mains in there too.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/category/special-diet/vegan

Just had a look at the menu for his restaurant near me, one vegan thing as far as I can see. That said it is an Italian restaurant. Nice to see so many recipes on his site nonetheless though. Unlike Gordon Ramsey's weird hatred of veggies and vegans. He seems a bit more open minded these days but it still mystifies me why it annoyed him so much in the first place.

Feu

Jamie's 15 minute meals book/programme has a vegetarian section, been thinking about buying it for that. The 30 min book had a good few veggie options too, although I think parmesan did rear its head! I recently ordered and have been thoroughly enjoying the http://www.bookhams.com/pages/twineham-information-page veggie parmesan from Bookhams. Very tasty, and they are very helpful over the phone. Well worth trying if you're not vegan. Freezes well too

Tar.Aldarion

I bought the vegan zombie cookbook, it's very good but for classier food nomyourself cookbook is amazing, her food is so good.

I saw this randomly on facebook and now I want it mmmm
http://www.veganricha.com/2014/07/kashmiri-dal-split-pea-yellow-lentil.html
Have a very bad cold, slept for 14 hours+! so thinking it might be nice whilst I'm sick.

Feu

looks gorgeous Tar! i'd say it's good for what ails ya. I am pinning now!


speaking of, anyone here on pinterest, always looking for new recipes [for veggie, gluten free, sugar free etc]

--LOS--

Hello! hello new people especially!

I'm home in Ireland at the minute staying with my folks, trying to figure out what I can eat here Yesterday I had boiled potatoes (dry coz no soya butter), parsnips and broad beans from the garden and beetroot that my Dad pickled himself from the garden. Extremely boring meal though! I put all my dried food and spices into storage in Amsterdam :P Normally I'd bring food with me but I had so much to carry already so I couldn't.

I went to visit some relations next door yesterday, I was offered cake, bars, biscuits, toasted cheese sandwiches, icecream, then eventually fruit salad which I said yes to, it's hard not to come across like you're on a diet or watching your weight or something, ahhhh awkward. And they know well I'm vegan, they just haven't a clue. And you can't just say no I don't want anything thanks, coz you know yourself, that's not going to be taken as an answer :P

BMJD

I don't usually pay much heed of the "may contain traces of..." warnings but this is either completely OTT or the factory is up to all sorts:



would you?

Oldtree

thats the longest disclaimer I've ever seen, usually see "may contain traces of eggs" and thats enough for me to skip it.

Zombienosh

feelin sick and in work so early. SO much coffee and vitamin c drinks will be had

--LOS--

That picture makes me feel drunk o_O

That is just bizarre, I think I would be too put off to get that!


I had quite a bad food experience yesterday. Stopped to find somewhere to eat with the folks, in the schticks! First place was full up, but the menu was all meat anyway, not even a token veggie option so on to the next place. Next place was the same, big menu, great choice, for meat fiends, not a single non-meat main on it ughhh. I sorta had myself prepared beforehand that I would most likely not get something vegan out in Meath/Kildare/Westmeath, and I might have to try and get something veggie as a once-off. But I guess I'm just used to cities now, I didn't expect the choice would be that bad! So I asked the waitress about any veggie options, and had started to say that I really don't mind if I can just get veg and potatoes, but before I could finish she was in a panic and ran off awkwardly I scared her off lol. So when someone eventually came back to us, I asked if I could just get the breaded mushrooms from the starters menu with some potato and veg. What I got was the most dairy filled veg and potato, cheesy cauliflower, really buttery carrots, spinach, cabbage and potato. Even the bit of side salad had that much coleslaw on it you could hardly call it a salad. I felt bad all evening afterwards, my stomach was just in knots after that much dairy. It just really makes you see how animal-filled veggie food is.

Of course I also felt really bad to not eat vegan. What would you guys have done? Have nothing at all? I don't exactly have the reserves to keep me going There was that much animal in what I ate I felt I may as well have a big lump of meat like everyone else there, what I had was not any better, just an obvious source of animal is a lot harder to reconcile mentally.

Oldtree

No compromise from me on certain things, anything cheesy in a restraunt has animal rennet in it afaic and the coleslaw probably had eggs in it, so no I wouldn't have eaten it. I dont even like eating anything out of an kitchen/oven used to cook meat. I do eat dairy (milk, butter, ice cream) though.

If really pushed I would have gone for the plain vegies and spuds and eaten a couple of packets of salted peanuts. I would have sent it back if it wasnt what I ordered. I usually have something prepared like sandwiches so I dont get put in a corner.

Just Like Heaven

There's a couple of restaurants in town that I know if I call ahead they'll sort something out, it's useful to like have them identified.

I wish the token vegetarian option in restaurants was vegan too though, I understand that's difficult though because so much butter and stuff goes into the preperation of vegetables in those places. But would keep everybody happy.

Tar.Aldarion

Just Like Heaven wrote: »

There's a couple of restaurants in town that I know if I call ahead they'll sort something out, it's useful to like have them identified.

I wish the token vegetarian option in restaurants was vegan too though, I understand that's difficult though because so much butter and stuff goes into the preperation of vegetables in those places. But would keep everybody happy.

It's very annoying because the amount of dairy/eggs in veggie dishes I felt I may as well have been eating meat. It's very had when places are jsut adapting to veggie dishes to hope for vegan ones, it's still a different world than it was 10 -20 years ago though and getting better.

BMJD

Would ye not have the fish??!?

I'm in England at the moment, plenty of veggie options, mostly cheesy things but there seems to be a vegan option in most large chain type places, even Little Chef.

Feu

What is about fish??? That is literally the first question I am asked prob 95% of the time when i say i'm a veggie. Is this wilful misunderstanding?

Ms. Koi

I find it beyond frustrating. A place I used to a big fan of has been going down hill in my estimations for a while now.
I was out for lunch with my cousin and I ordered a wrap with stuffing, sweetcorn, sundried tomatoes and a bit of cheese, with coleslaw on the side.
I was tucking in, had a mouthful and thought it was a bit gross with a weird texture but thought nothing of it. Lashed a load of coleslaw on and was about to take a second bite when my cousin copped, took the fork out of my hand. They had read CHEESE as CHICKEN.
I was disgusted, ate the heads off them. I go there regularly, the staff know me well and are usually so conscious, checking stocks etc. I made myself sick and felt shook all day.
I went back a few weeks later with my family, ordered the same thing and when it arrived I deconstructed it to make sure. Put coleslaw on. Second mouthful, go for coleslaw and a big chunk of chicken in the slaw.
I've spoken with the owners, it's a disgrace. If there is that much cross contamination in the place, what else are they doing wrong???
I was out with my boyfriends family in Dublin and we went in there on the way home. I wasn't happy at all with the meal, it was disgusting if I'm honest, but I had eaten nothing all day and had no choice really (needed food to take tabs).

It has shaken my trust in the place, I used to be able to guarantee the quality but now, not so much. It's made me very wary about other places now too.

Jeez that was long, but needed the rant! :P

Killer_banana

I've not been anywhere with no veg option but had to have a place do me a risotto that wasn't on the menu a few weeks ago. If I plan to eat out I always check ahead and working with vegans I always have people to ask but it was in a country pub on the way back from a trip to the beach. In fairness they were really good about it and the guy apologised that there were no desserts I could have, I never expect dessert!

loveisdivine

My colleagues were in Subway yesterday lunch. The guy infront of them ordered a tuna sub, the server said "Are you vegetarian?" ugh.

Ms. Koi

In fairness to them, Subway always accommodate me. They change their gloves, clean the boards and change the knives. Never had a problem with any of them!

Killer_banana

Sounds like they have training and since it's a franchise that would have to happen in all branches. Maybe that was why she asked if the person was a vegetarian, to see if she had to change the board? I mean it's still ignorance of what the word actually means which is unhelpful but a lot of places don't seem to think about things such a cross contamination when it comes to veg*ns since it's not a food intolerance.

loveisdivine

They are always very helpful towards me, when I order they ask if I'm vegetarian and always change their gloves.

It was the fact they didn't know what vegetarian really means. It surprises me really in this day and age that so many people don't fully understand its meaning, but somebody working in the food industry really has no excuse.

Just Like Heaven

Perhaps they just get a lot of 'vegetarians who eat fish' in. But still I guess they should use the correct term or whatever. They're obviously quite tuned in with their markets the changing gloves for vegetarians being part of training and also the halal meat thing that was in the news a while in the UK.

I saw on Facebook a couple months ago they were trialing a vegan sub across America. It had black beans it or something, would be really handy for whilst travelling or whatever.

rubadub

loveisdivine wrote: »

My colleagues were in Subway yesterday lunch. The guy infront of them ordered a tuna sub, the server said "Are you vegetarian?" ugh.

He might have been concerned that the person would not want any trace of non-fish meat on the sub. He might well know the correct term too.

Killer_banana wrote: »

a lot of places don't seem to think about things such a cross contamination when it comes to veg*ns since it's not a food intolerance.

The amount of blatant cross contamination with raw meat I see on TV by professional chefs is appalling, so I would not hold out much hope for a less trained guy on min wage to do any better, with far more subtle & less physically harmful contamination.

Oldtree

I've known people who claimed to be vegetarian, but eat fish. :rolleyes:

Zombienosh

Spent most of the morning playing with the kitten. Her and one of the dogs are mad in to wrestling with each other, the other dog is terrified of her.

Kittens are awesome.

Zombienosh

Also just spotted my local dunnes stocks some vegan cheeses now.

BMJD

aye, Tofutti slices and blocks in mine. The slices are handy for making toasted cheesy sambos, brunch of champions.